


Play Something Country

by ElectricDove



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Brushing Fingers Leading to Grinding Basically, Country Music, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 05:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7300705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricDove/pseuds/ElectricDove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys go to see Brooks and Dunn play live and stand a little too close.</p><p>-<br/>“What was that, Link? Should I.. Should I apologize for that? I don’t know what.. I-”<br/>“Are you sorry this happened, Rhett?”<br/>-</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play Something Country

The venue is sold out, the place packed with people and cigarette smoke clouding up the dimly lit room. Standing in the middle of the crowded mass, Link stays close to Rhett, anxious not to lose his friend. They’re here together, just the two of them drove all the way to Charlotte and rented a motel room to see Brooks and Dunn play live this night. None of their friends wanted to come, excuses of things being too pricey, too far away or too late. 

Being there, excited to see some of their favorite musicians perform, Link can hardly stand still, bumping against people around them and spilling his beer before he slurps some from the plastic cup. It’s good being here with Rhett, doing something fun like this. It’s been too long since it was just the two of them. He’s secretly pleased their friends bailed on them, ensuring some quality time with Rhett.

 

When the music starts, the room gets even more crowded, filling up with fans who are excited to get as close to the stage as possible. Luckily both of them are tall and big enough to stand their ground against pushing elbows and big poofy hairdos. It’s more than once that they share a look, locking eyes as they notice strange people around them, grins wide on their faces as they return to watch the stage.

They’re standing close, pushed together by the crowd around them, and while they sing along with the lyrics of ‘Neon Moon’ they drift even closer, shoulders and legs pressed together, bumping together.

Link leans into Rhett, enjoying the way his best friend feels so close to him. Maybe it’s the beers they drank, maybe it’s the exhilaration of the live music, maybe it’s the forced proximity, maybe it’s the company (it definitely is).

When their fingers brush against each other for the third time, not bumping but something a lot more gentle, Link decides it’s probably no coincidence, on his side nor on Rhett’s. His fingers feel tingly from the short contact, forcing a burst of warmth and happiness through him. He moves a bit closer, his bouncing hip coming into contact with Rhett’s upper leg, sending a shot of adrenaline through his body. It’s all easily explained, they’re getting close because of the crowded place, the people around them a valid excuse. Rhett never stops touching him, so Link doesn’t either.

Feeling emboldened now, Link doesn’t think too much about his motivation to start moving his lower body in a rhythmic way against Rhett next to him. He just likes dancing, nothing extravagant really, expressing his appreciation for the music, that’s all. If he rolls his hips a bit more than usual, seeking out more contact, who’s gonna complain aside from Rhett? And Rhett doesn’t seem to mind, moving even closer to Link instead, leaning into the warm points of contact.

He doesn’t think about how Rhett easily moves from his side to stand behind him, his tall figure steady at his back, while Link keeps dancing to the music, his hips now moving against the front of Rhett’s body.

There’s really no need to think about the warm hand hovering close to his side, or the way it makes his heart beat a bit faster when it finally finds a comfortable place on his hip to lay and stay.

It should be too much, too dangerous to behave like this, in multiple ways. But the place is packed, everybody singing along with the music and having a great time. The two young men barely stand out in the crowd.

But between the two of them, the tension is rising, heartbeats going crazy as they move together. Closer than ever.

Where all of this began with a soft brush of fingers, it’s transformed now into something much more. The darkness around them protects them from prying eyes, disguises the way Link is moving his hips in a circular motion against Rhett’s groin, makes the hard gripping hand on Link’s thin t shirt unnoticeable to most.

But for them, it’s everything. It’s exciting and new, taking their breath away in that dark smoky room. Link’s hips move without much conscious thought, his mind focused on the sensation of Rhett pressed up against his back and the burning heat of Rhett’s hand where he holds him. He’s having the time of his life and he decides he never wants this night to end.

It’s over way too fast, however. At least the performance is, and when they get outside the night is dark and starlit. It’s late as Rhett and Link walk in silence to their cheap motel just outside the city.

The air between them feels heavy, syrupy with unclear thoughts. Being outside in the open feels surreal. His entire body still thrumming with adrenaline, the points of pleasurable contact still burning with a fierce intensity. But the distance and a breath of fresh air brings conflicting emotions, messing with Link’s mind as he tries to make sense of what just happened. There are so many things between them that they need to figure out, tonight not something that comes entirely out of the blue.

Link doesn’t know if he wants these things spoken out loud right now, their actions explained and defined. They would open up a deep well of words unsaid, too hard to communicate clearly despite their years of friendship.

This is a thing that goes beyond friendship and the thought scares him, perhaps it’s a thing they’re both scared of.

Maybe it’s better this moment exists like this, a moment out of time, extraordinary and never talked of again, only existing in their memories. Link thinks it could be easier. Or maybe not.

The second Rhett opens his mouth, his brow furrowed, voice quiet but clear, Link knows ignoring and stowing away the incident is no longer an option. It seems that Rhett was thinking about it too, also weighing the moment and his feelings about it before he decided it’s better to make sense of it together. Rhett’s always braver like that.

“What was that, Link? Should I.. Should I apologize for that? I don’t know what.. I-”

“Are you sorry this happened, Rhett?”

When Rhett doesn’t answer his question, Link follows it up with more, his owns thoughts on the matter. He’s thought about this too, maybe even longer than he dares to admit. Now that Rhett has taken that first step, made the decision for them both to work through this thing between them, it’s easier for Link to follow up, double down on it, so to speak. Where Rhett starts, he will finish.

“I’m not sorry. I wanted something to happen, actually..”

Filling his lungs with a big gulp of air, bringing new bravery with it, Link continues talking. He’s on a roll now, knows the deeper truth of the words spilling out of him.

“I hope I’m not makin’ a fool of myself, but dang Rhett.. I liked how close we got there. I want to get even closer.. if you want to..”

As his breath leaves him with a hard exhale, so does his courage, only his heart beating too hard and tingling fingers remaining. His hands feel cold, shaky, and he misses the warmth of Rhett’s hand against them.

The silence is telling him everything he needs to know. It seems like he is making a fool of himself, after all.

Just a moment ago he was so sure, certain nothing could go wrong, high on the adrenaline of being so close to Rhett all night. Link is already berating himself for acting so impulsively, speaking his mind when he wasn’t even sure they would be well received. Could he still play it off as something meaningless? Meant as a casual statement about their friendship?

The empty streets of the city provide him with no distraction from his confusing thoughts, desolate streetlights highlighting only trashcans and a stray cat. Gnawing on his bottom lip, Link tries to think of something to say, something funny to lighten the mood and make fun of his declaration. It’s hard to come up with something that isn’t more of the same, more heartfelt words of how much he’d like for them to be more, something else beside friends.

It’s Rhett’s warm hand on his shoulder that gets him out of his haze, making him look up, squinting in the semi-darkness to make out Rhett’s face. His brow is furrowed into a deep frown, expression serious as he stares down at Link.

Link doesn’t dare to speak now, afraid of what might come out of his mouth. So he waits, searching Rhett’s face for an answer to an unspoken question, while Rhett seems to be doing the same, his eyes staring intently at Link’s.

Rhett finds his answer a lot sooner than him, because when Rhett’s frowning face finally transforms into a soft smile, Link still has no idea what is going on.

When Rhett’s hands settle on his hips and he starts to dip his head a little lower, Link starts getting some idea about what’s going on, his own hands coming up to Rhett’s chest, gripping his white t-shirt in anticipation.

By the time Rhett’s lips meet his in a soft first kiss, Link’s finally found his answer.

It’s weird how normal kissing Rhett feels, no earth shattering, life changing, crazy identity crisis is happening as their lips press together for a long moment.

The kiss is good, nothing too special in itself as they move together with closed lips, standing close and holding on to each other.

The thing that makes it different from any other kiss Link’s had is that he needs to tilt his head up instead of down, that he feels stubble and smells musk instead of some soft and flowery perfume. The thing that makes it special is that it’s Rhett that he’s kissing, or that it’s Rhett kissing him.

Thinking about his own words earlier, about wanting to get closer, Link takes another small step towards Rhett, pressing close to him. Instead of deepening the kiss, like Link hoped for, Rhett breaks it and takes a step backwards instead. The distance between them feels like too much, the cool air making him shiver without Rhett’s body heat near.

There’s no need for his anxiety or doubts to return, however. With Rhett’s warm gaze so full of love and joy, Link can’t help but return it with an affectionate smile.

“Definitely not sorry for that, bo.”

Link smiles at the endearment, used for each other back when they were little boys. He takes Rhett’s waiting hand and, without any pretense this time, their finger twine together easily. It’s familiar and exciting at the same time.

They’re silent the rest of the way back to their motel, eager to get behind closed doors and explore this some more.

Things can stay unspoken for a while longer, as long as they both know where they stand, the love between them clear. They’ll figure it out, together.

**Author's Note:**

> Come and find me on my [tumblr](http://touchinganelectricdove.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Special thanks to my amazing help, [Robin](http://rhettsglasses.tumblr.com/)<3


End file.
